In Another Life: Longing Hearts
by Akatsuki Shin
Summary: Without knowing the reason, Tsurumaru Kuninaga had been writing songs after songs solely from a mysterious feeling of longing in his heart. He didn't know what or who he was seeking, but a desperate escape from a persistent paparazzi led him to an unexpected encounter with a humble young man from a previous life he had long forgotten.
1. Chapter 1

_In the far distance I see your smile  
_ _From the far distance I hear your voice  
_ _If I try to run to where you are  
_ _Will my voice ever reach you?_

* * *

The white-haired man sitting on the bed let out a long, exasperated sigh. Leaning back against the stacked up pillows, once again he crossed out the short sentences he'd been scribbling on his notebook before writing the new ones underneath. But even these, too, where soon crossed out again as he kept repeating the same action for the next few minutes until he finally got tired of it. Throwing the book and pen away, he rose to his feet and slid open the glass door leading to the balcony.

It was pitch black up there beyond the night sky, but even then when he lowered his gaze, countless lights produced by the city were more than bright enough to illuminate the bottom of the sky. Resting himself against the railing, he let the cool night breeze to blow the white strands of his hair.

A sigh escaped his lips once again.

How many times had he stood here and stared at this very same scenery, not knowing why he even had the urge to do something like this to begin with. He wasn't necessarily bored, nor did he feel his heart being disturbed by any kind of unpleasant feelings. If…he had to describe it with words one way or another, he could only say it felt like the impatient feeling of longing. But at the same time he had no idea what or who he was longing for.

"…This sucks…"

Mumbling those words under his breath, he ruffled his hair so hard it turned into jumbled flocks of white. He did say it wasn't exactly an unpleasant feeling, but it wasn't a good one either. If anything, it was exhausting to keep looking for something he had no clue about.

"… _If I try to run to where you are…will I ever find you…?"_

Unconsciously, his slightly parted lips sang a brief song. His voice was faint and no one was there to hear him singing. But even so, he kept repeating the same words, changing the melody ever so slightly each time until he finally found a composition he felt most comfortable with. It was the first time his gold-colored eyes flickered with life after awhile, and now standing straight while still holding onto the railing, he took in a deep breath and closed his eyes.

 _"Faraway… Faraway… In the far distance I see your smile…  
_ _If I run to where you are, will I ever find you?  
_ _If I reach out my hand and shout, will you ever hear me?  
_ _To you whom I've yearned for so long, this heart I will give to you"_

* * *

"Tsurumaru."

Walking into the studio, a brown-haired man in neat clothing headed straight for the couch where three other men were having a break. The first one was a black-haired man with his right eye covered with an eye-patch. The other was dark-skinned, seemingly a bit younger than the first one, with a marvelous tattoo of a dragon circling on his left arm. The last one, of course, was none other than the white-haired man whose name was being called just now.

"Oi, Tsurumaru," the brown-haired man called once again. He was now standing right behind the white hair, but the person whom he'd been calling didn't show any sign of response. Frowning his brows into a terribly irritated face, eventually he rolled the magazine he was holding and a dull " _smack_ " soon echoed throughout the room.

"It hurts—! Why do you always have to hit me, Hasebe?!"

"Well, I wouldn't have to if you'd stop daydreaming and answered immediately when I called," without any hint of remorse, the man named Hasebe ignored the white hair's complain and settled on the remaining empty space on the couch.

"Now, now, Hasebe- _kun_ , don't be angry. I'm sure Tsuru-san didn't do it on purpose," trying to reduce the tension between the two, the man wearing an eye-patch, Mitsutada, said in a soothing tone before nudging at the tattooed one sitting next to him, "Right, Kara-chan?"

"Beats me. It's not like I care," replied him coldly, shrugging his shoulders without a care. To his response, Mitsutada could only hang his head down and sighed.

"Really, you guys…" he shook his head with weary face, "Anyway, what brings you here, Hasebe-kun?"

"Doing my job as the band's manager," the brown hair replied while taking out his agenda, "Also, there's something I want to show you guys. Here…"

He put the magazine he'd just used to hit Tsurumaru on the table before them. On the very front cover were the three of them, wearing gorgeous stage wardrobe, with the logo of their band nicely strapped in the middle-bottom part of the cover.

" _Rookie of the Year,_ _One-Eyed Dragon_ ," Mitsutada read the title aloud; a happy smile rising to his face as he turned the pages to find the main article about them, " _Winning six out of ten nominations within one year of their debut, their first album sold over 500,000 copies only a month after release._ Ah, they also have separate columns for our profiles. _"_

"Heee? They put very nice pictures of us in this article," said Tsurumaru while leaning over towards his colleague. There were pictures of him singing while playing his guitar, Ookurikara with his bass and Mitsutada behind the drums. "But Ookurikara looks the same in almost every single one of them. Dude, why didn't you smile when they take your photos? You look either pissed or angry in all of these."

"…Why do you care…?" contrary to the white hair's excited tone, the bassist replied nonchalantly while averting his gaze, completely disinterested. When Tsurumaru puffed his cheeks in protest, once again it was Mitsutada who had to fix the situation.

"Now, now, both of you look very fine in here, don't worry," he said with a smile, "But this is really great! I thought this issue is supposed to be published tomorrow. How did you get this magazine, Hasebe-kun?"

"A friend of mine worked for the company that published this magazine. Since he knew I'm your manager, he gave me a copy," replied the brown-haired man. Despite his seemingly composed attitude, from the tone of his voice it was obvious that he, too, was delighted that their band made it to the front cover of such prestigious entertainment magazine. "In any case, the fact that you guys are crowned as the best rookie means we will get busier in the coming days, which is good. My original intention coming here is to brief you on your schedule next week."

"I guess you're right…" Tsurumaru leaned back to his seat, crossing his long legs, "So, what do we have, Hasebe?"

"I will start with the band's schedule first before going to your individual schedule," said Hasebe while flipping through his agenda, "Monday morning on 07:00, you will attend the pre-recording for the new talk show that I mentioned yesterday. On 13:00 will be the pre-recording of the usual weekly music show. Tuesday is fully booked with recording for your new album. On Wednesday you will have…"

The manager continued reading all the activities they would need to accomplish in the following days. It really was considerably more packed compared to the previous weeks. Particularly nearing and during the weekend, they almost had no time to rest and even if there were days where they had no appointment, it would be used to practice and prepare the recording of their new album.

"I guess the coming days would be quite…difficult, huh?" Mitsutada said with a forced smile after listening to the chains of programs, "But I'm happy that we're finally getting somewhere."

"Indeed. You guys also get the chance to show up more during prime time. Isn't that great?" replied Hasebe while putting back the agenda to his breast pocket, "We should use this opportunity to promote the making of the new album."

"Question," all of a sudden, Ookurikara who had remained silent slightly raised his hand, something that he very rarely did, "For the new album, when is the deadline to submit the new songs?"

"Considering the planned release, you have three more weeks. Though, I think there shouldn't be any problem since more than half of the songs have been submitted."

The dark-skinned man said nothing more, but the other three had known him far too well to understand that it meant he had no objection to this.

"Well then, if there are no more questions, I suppose I will not disturb your practice any longer. Excuse me," with that said, Hasebe rose to his feet and headed for the door. However, right before he truly left, the manager stopped and looked back. "Also, this might sound too far-fetched, but you guys are rising stars now. Be careful with what you do. Those paparazzi will start lurking around you in no time."

"…Well, that's the most annoying part of being famous, isn't it?" said Tsurumaru with a sneer after the brown hair was gone, "Be careful not to look too lovey-dovey in public, you two, or they might start a strange rumor."

"…Is it not allowed to just hit the paparazzi instead…?"

"No, no, Kara-chan, no! You can't hit anyone!" to Ookurikara's careless remark, Mitsutada grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard as though telling him to snap out of it. It was actually pretty obvious that the bassist wasn't being serious, but the way he said it with a straight face made others believed he might just do it for real.

And Mitsutada never failed to fall into this every single time.

 _"How nice…_ " thought Tsurumaru while looking at his two friends. Neither Mitsutada nor Ookurikara ever said it, but for some reason he already understood what kind of relationship they had. And for some reason, too, he found himself perfectly fine with the way they were. He didn't feel the need to question them, nor did he ever think of them as strange. Since the first time he met these guys, he thought it was just natural for them to be together.

"…? Is something wrong, Tsuru-san?" tilting his head in confusion, Mitsutada stared back at him. The white hair shook his head, returning the question only with a smile that the other two could only looked at each other in wonder.

"It's nothing," Tsurumaru said lightly while rising to his feet, heading to where he had put his guitar, "By the way, I came up with a song yesterday. It's not completed yet, but let me know what you think, okay?"

Fixing his position on a nearby chair, he put the black guitar on his lap and began strumming on the strings. He was only humming at first, but then the melody was soon accompanied with lyrics. It was the song he chanted at the balcony last night, and for the first time he allowed others to hear it. While remaining in their seats, both Mitsutada and Ookurikara listened quietly until the white hair finally reached his last thrum.

"…Well, how is it?" Tsurumaru looked at the other two after finishing his song. While Ookurikara's face remained difficult to read as always, the one-eyed man seemed to be in a serious thought before he finally opened his mouth to comment.

"How do I say this…?" he said, holding his chin with his fingers, "It's different from the songs you've made so far."

"Ah… Is it not good after all?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant," Mitsutada quickly shook his head with a reassuring smile, "To tell you the truth, I think it's one of the best songs you've composed since we started this band. Don't you agree, Kara-chan?"

"…We might as well use it for our comeback."

"…?! Ookurikara, you… I think that's the highest praise I've ever got from you. Are you feeling alright? No fever or anything?" the white hair stared at the bassist with his jaw dropping; his face looking as though he was at loss of words. To this reaction, however, the man in question simply averted his gaze and snorted.

"Not really. I'm just saying what I think,' replied him coldly.

"See? Even Kara-chan said it's good," Mitsutada chuckled happily, "But Tsuru-san, if you don't mind… How did you come up with that song?"

"I just did?" Tsurumaru tilted his head, "Is it really that different from my other songs?"

"Yeah, I can't really put it into words, but… Anyway, it's a very good song. I'll be happy to help out with the arrangement."

"Really? Thanks!" the white nearly jumped to his feet; his lips were drawn into a bright smile, "Then, I'll put my heart into it so I can give you the complete version as soon as possible."

With that said, he scrambled to find his notebook and it didn't take long for the main vocalist to end up in the corner of the studio, scribbling and humming to himself while occasionally strumming his guitar. Little did he know, while he was immersed in finishing his new song, his two friends were staring at him with indescribable look in their eyes.

"…Say, Kara-chan…" nudging at the other man sitting next to him, Mitsutada spoke in a low voice as not to alert the white hair who was only a few distance away from them, "Are you thinking the same thing as I do?"

"I suppose…" the bassist replied, throwing his gaze down to the floor.

"Right? I wonder if he'll ever find _that_ person…"

"Even if he does, there's no guarantee that person will remember him, too," brushing his brown-colored hair all the way down until the dark red tips, Ookurikara let out a sigh as he leaned back to the sofa, "And even if they both remember each other, there's also no guarantee they'll end up living happily ever after just like that."

"…That just now was really harsh, you know?"

"I'm just stating the truth," to the one-eyed bitter smile, the bassist merely shrugged his shoulders, "Especially considering what Hasebe said about the paparazzi and stuffs."

"What do you mean?"

"Knowing Tsurumaru, he'll do all sorts of flashy things for that person shamelessly, not caring whether or not people are watching. He's always been that kind of person."

"Kara-chan… You're actually very thoughtful of your friends, aren't you?"

Up until this moment, the expression on Ookurikara's face had remained cold and aloof. However, the second Mitsutada told him that, he immediately clicked his tongue with an irritated face; his ears visibly turning red despite the dark complexion of his skin.

"I'm just telling you—"

"I know, I know. My bad," the one-eyed couldn't help but chuckle at how the man retorted to his remark. Nevertheless, he, too, leaned back to his seat with a sigh; his eyes following Tsurumaru's figure who was still absorbed with his guitar and notebook at the corner. "But, really… If they would actually meet, I hope everything will be okay. It'll be very sad if it turns out otherwise."

Mitsutada lowered his gaze. When Ookurikara glanced at him, he could see a bitter smile was once again drawn on his face as he muttered under his breath.

"After all… We both know Tsuru-san loves that person very much."

* * *

The day slowly began following the sun that rises not too long ago. For most people it was time to wake from their sleep, but for some others, it was already time to leave home and go to work. Nevertheless, considering the early hour, the streets were only beginning to be crowded and the air was rather humid still.

Being in the group of people who were required to already leave for work, it was natural for Tsurumaru to be rushing through the thin crowds by now. Wearing a beanie cap that hid most of his distinguished white hair, he took long strides while covering half of his face with his jacket's collar. Indeed, he would have a pre-recording to attend in an hour, but if one were to look closely, his hurry seemed exaggerated if he was merely worried about tardiness.

 _"Goddammit, this guy's persistent!"_

Clicking his tongue in irritation, the vocalist looked back cautiously. There, walking a few meters away behind him was a man wearing casual clothing under his leather jacket and a hat. He looked like any other normal man at a glance, but not to Tsurumaru. In fact, ever since he left his apartment, he'd been struggling to lose this guy to no avail.

Obviously, because he could not mistake the small camera in that man's possession, cleverly hidden beneath his jacket.

He didn't think Hasebe's warning would happen this soon. While he had no particularly confidential agenda today, he despised having his pictures taken in secret and then published without his permission. Plus, it was creepy to have someone following him around like this, not to mention that man could have some sort of bad intentions towards him.

"…Hmm?" at that time, Tsurumaru felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. The word " _Angry Manager_ " was written on the display when he took it out. Despite still in the middle of escape, the white hair slightly giggled before answering the call. "Yo, Hasebe. What's up?"

 _"Where are you now?"_ cutting straight to the case, Hasebe's irritated voice could be heard from the other end, _"Mitsutada and Ookurikara are already here."_

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that," lowering his voice as not to be overheard, Tsurumaru exhaled a long sigh, "I'm being followed."

 _"…Paparazzi?"_

"Looks like it."

" _Where are you now?_ " the manager repeated his question. Though, after knowing the situation he didn't sound angry anymore.

"The studio's actually just a ten minutes' walk from here, but I haven't been able to shake this guy's off," once again, Tsurumaru clicked his tongue in irritation, "I don't like this, but if this keeps up I might as well—"

He stopped all of a sudden. In front of him was a large junction and by some sort of chance, the moment he got there was the moment when the crossing light turned green. At this time, a wild idea popped up into his mind.

" _Tsurumaru?_ "

"I think I found a way to escape," the vocalist replied with a mischievous grin now showing on his face, "I'll be there right after. At most, I will be late five minutes. Catch you later, Hasebe~"

" _Oi, wai—!_ "

Tsurumaru cut off the call before the other man finished his words and put the phone back into his jeans pocket. In the next second, he broke into a sprint.

 _"I should lose him this way,_ " he thought while blending in with the moving crowd. However, when he tried to look back, he saw the man still chasing after him that he cursed under his breath. " _Shit, he's seriously persistent!"_

It would be easy if it was in the middle of the day. He could just slip into one of the shops lining by the side of the street, but at this hour they weren't open yet and going into a convenience store would just turn out to be a dead end. In his desperation, Tsurumaru eventually saw a shop with its door opened not far from where he was, so without much thinking, he sped up and entered that building. It turned out to be a coffee shop.

"…?! I'm sorry, Sir. We are not open ye—"

"Let me hide in here!" ignoring the staff's surprised call, Tsurumaru ran behind the cashier's desk, "If someone comes after me, please tell them I'm not here."

It was right after he ducked under the table that he heard the sound of rapid footsteps coming into the shop, and it was also at that time he realized he hadn't told the staff, shopkeeper, or whoever it was of why he even needed to hide in the first place. It wasn't like he had the time to, but Tsurumaru couldn't stop worrying that person would expose him.

"I'm sorry, Sir. We are not open yet."

Contrary to his expectation, the staff politely said the same words to that man. Tsurumaru could hear the man describing his appearance and asking whether the staff saw him around here, but much to his surprise, once again that person said he didn't see anyone like that.

"I believe I haven't seen any person that matches your description today. I apologize I couldn't be of any help."

The man pursuing him sounded disappointed, but he left eventually. When he heard those footsteps fading away, a wave of relief rushed into his heart all at once that Tsurumaru couldn't help but inhaled a deep breath. He hadn't realized how tensed he had become while hiding under the cashier's desk.

 _"I guess I'm safe for now…"_ he thought while removing his beanie cap, brushing back his hair. But suddenly a voice called out to him that he almost jumped.

"Sir?" the staff politely called him, "That person has left, so you can come out now."

"O-Oh, I see… Yeah…" now that the tension had left, Tsurumaru realized only now how awkward the situation he had put himself in that he nearly hit his head into the desk while trying to get up, "Sorry to trouble you with that. I was…"

His voice trailed off into the distance. He didn't pay any attention to this since he was in such a hurry before, but in front of him stood a young man, wearing a long apron on top of his clothes, seemingly a waiter in this coffee shop. He had short light blue hair and a pair of golden eyes similar to his own, kindly looking at him as the young man showed a gentle, polite smile.

To this sight, all of a sudden Tsurumaru felt dizzy.

"S-Sir?! Are you alright?!"

The young man's worried voice added up to his vertigo rather than putting him at ease. He had no idea what happened. When he looked at him, Tsurumaru could feel his sight overlapping with something else.

 _"What… What is this…?!"_

He saw the young man in front of him standing beyond the opened door that led to the street, but at the same time he thought he could see the same person standing with the view of a garden and a large pond behind him. It wasn't a strange sight at all; in fact, it felt as though he'd seen this before, a long, long time ago….

"Sir?!"

"…Eh?"

When he came to it, the young waiter was already right in front of him, shaking his shoulders. His face was worried sick and even his hands were trembling. It was only at that time Tsurumaru realized he had somehow been kneeling on the floor all this time. And if it wasn't already strange enough, both his head and sight were now clear as though the previous grogginess was mere illusion.

"A-Are you alright? S-Should I… Should I c-call an ambulance?" stuttering with his words, the young man shook his shoulders again; his face had turned pale. It took awhile for Tsurumaru to finally get a grasp of the situation.

"Ah, s-sorry for scaring you," forcing a smile as reassuring as possible, the white hair rose to his feet and lightly patted the young man's arms, "I'm alright. I just felt light-headed for a second."

"Are you… Are you sure?"

"Uhn. Probably I've been running a bit too much," he nodded, "That man chasing after me was a stalker after all. Thank you for helping me hide from him."

"I-Is that so…?" finally letting out a sigh of relief, the waiter with light blue hair smiled, "Well, I am glad that you're okay, Sir. I was afraid that it was something life-threatening."

"Thank you for your concern. I'm alright," while returning his smile, for some reason Tsurumaru could feel impatience building up in his heart. When the young man was just about to turn his back, he stopped him and grabbed his arm. "W-Wait… Can I ask your name?"

"Huh?"

"Ah, no. That's not right. I should introduce myself first," releasing his grip, the white hair made a nervous smile as he stepped back and kept on rambling, "I'm Tsurumaru Kuninaga. What is your name?"

Despite the confusion clearly written all over his face, the young man did not look at Tsurumaru with repulsion. Instead, he lightly chuckled before fixing his posture and smiled back at him.

"You are a funny person, Kuninaga-san," he said with a soft voice, "It is a pleasure to be your acquaintance. My name is Ichigo Hitofuri."


	2. Chapter 2

_"Tsurumaru-dono, good afternoon."_

 _"Hmm? Ah, if it isn't Ichigo. I see you're already back from the Expedition," turning his gaze towards the soft voice calling to his name, a smile was drawn on Tsurumaru Kuninaga's face upon finding the light blue hair standing next to him, "How was it?"_

 _"It was a great success. Master was very happy," returning the other's smile, Ichigo Hitofuri settled down next to him, "What about you, Tsurumaru-dono? What are you doing here?"_

 _"Just taking a little break. Caring for the horses proved to be rather tiring," replied Tsurumaru calmly. He returned his gaze to the Citadel's garden spreading before him; the large pond adorned with dozens of lotus floating on the surface._

 _At his composed gesture, for some reason the blue hair was prompted to follow as the two of them remained in a peaceful silence._

 _"…Say, Ichigo," all of a sudden the white crane called, still having his golden eyes fixed at the scenery in front of them, "Won't you go out with me?"_

 _"Go out?" Ichigo Hitofuri tilted his head, "Go out where, Tsurumaru-dono?"_

 _"Ah, sorry, sorry. Let me rephrase that," the other man scratched his head and laughed, "Won't you be my lover, Ichigo Hitofuri?"_

 _There was a pause. The blue hair casted a blank stare at him, but in the next second, only a blind man wouldn't see such obvious change in his face. All the way from his neck to his ears, Ichigo had turned completely red as though he was steaming from his head. Stuttering with his own words, simply answering to Tsurumaru's question became a real struggle for him._

 _"W-W-W-Why—W-Whatever do you mean with t-t-that, Tsurumaru-dono?!"_

 _"Pfft— Ahahahaha! Would you look at your face? Hahahaha!" the white crane broke into a fit of laughter, so much that he almost cried. However, it was clear that his words weren't mere jest as he exhaled a long sigh afterwards, calmly looking back at the blue hair. "Well, I mean what I said. So? Will you accept my proposal?"_

 _"T-That's… Such a thing, I'm…" looking down at his clenched fingers resting on his knees, the signs of embarrassment remained clear on Ichigo Hitofuri's face, "If…If I become Tsurumaru-dono's lover…what am I supposed to do?"_

 _"Nothing? All you have to do is allowing me to love you," the crane smiled casually, and yet an indescribable look was visible from his eyes at the same time. Lifting his hand, he touched the side of Ichigo's face gently while whispering his next words. "Though… I do hope that one day, you will also come to love me back. What do you say, Ichigo?"_

* * *

The inside of the concert hall was dark, and yet countless small glows coming from light sticks brought by the thousands audiences illuminated the enormous indoor stage. There were only incomprehensible murmurs amongst them at first, but when the giant screen on the stage was lit up with the logo of "One-Eyed Dragon" splendidly flashing, excited screams reverberated from every corner and the crowds grew even louder when the intro music was started with familiar thrums of bass.

Following the people's cheers and cries, a single spotlight fell on the right side of the stage. On the previously empty floor was now a round hole where a platform rose from within, bringing up a dark-skinned man who stood on it with his white-colored bass playing the intro music. The name "Ookurikara" was shouted from all directions on his appearance, wearing black leather trousers, striped scarf and white sleeveless shirt with the sole purpose of exposing the trademark dragon tattoo on his left arm. His dark brown hair was tied into a ponytail, letting the red-colored tip to sensually fall on his nape.

Not long after that, another spotlight fell at the center, a bit further back near the giant screen. This time, the music was complemented with strokes of drum as a larger platform brought up a black-haired man sitting behind a full drum set. Shokudaikiri Mitsutada smiled at the fans who called out to his name. His dark-colored leather jacket was adorned by soft white feathers around the collar area, and as always, his right eye was hidden beneath a black eye-patch.

At last, the final spotlight fell in the middle of the stage. Answering the cheers of their fans, the last member of the band appeared from the rising platform as the name "Tsurumaru" completed the recurring fan-chant. His sleeveless jacket and trousers were the same white color as his hair, while the inner V-neck shirt was pitch black, further exposing his bright golden eyes. In front of him was a standing microphone, but unlike the regular ones, this was a trademark of their band; a silver-colored standing microphone adorned with dragon-shaped decoration.

And when Tsurumaru's fingers strummed the black guitar he was holding, it marked the start of their comeback concert after successfully launching their new album last month.

 _"The night was silent still as I looked out through the window  
_ _Under the starless sky, all I could see were the sparkling lights of the town  
_ _'They are the same as always', I thought as I walked out of my room  
_ _But even so, I wonder what is this feeling burning in my heart?"_

The fan-chants became merrier; the crowds growing excited as they sang along together with the white-haired vocalist. It was when their fans appeared in high spirits that Tsurumaru gained even more confidence. Showing off his guitar skill, once again his voice resounded throughout the hall as they continued to the next verse.

 _"The room feels too empty for me alone  
_ _'Ah… Is it loneliness that I'm feeling then?' I thought as I smiled mockingly to myself  
_ _How nice would it be to have someone by my side  
_ _Someone precious to me… Someone that I never want to let go…"_

Along with the rhythm of Mitsutada's drum and Ookurikara's bass, Tsurumaru lifted his hand, signaling the audience to sing the chorus along with him. He saw them raising their hands in response. With a delighted smile, he inhaled a deep breath and closed his eyes before finally reaching the climax of the song.

 _"Faraway… Faraway… In the far distance I see your smile…  
_ _Faraway… Faraway… In the far distance I hear your voice…_

 _If I run to where you are, will I ever find you?  
_ _If I reach out my hand and shout, will you ever hear me?_

 _To you whom I've yearned for so long, to you whom I love the most  
_ _This heart I will give to you"_

In the middle of their fans' cheers, Tsurumaru swept his gaze across the countless light sticks being waved from every corner. His sight eventually stopped upon finding the VIP rows where in the front seat was a young man with light blue hair. Wearing a sleeveless knitted jumper on top of his white shirt, he was considerably calmer compared to the screaming crowds, but when their eyes met, Tsurumaru could see him smiling and shyly waved his hand at him.

 _"You came…"_

It was indescribable, the feeling rushing into his heart when he saw the blue hair's smile. Tsurumaru thought he almost cried at this sight, but he held it back. Smiling back to him, the vocalist strummed the strings of his guitar enthusiastically. Without averting his gaze away from the blue hair, he chanted the last verse of the chorus into the microphone with his entire heart.

 _"To you, my dearest, I will spread these humble wings and fly to where you are…"_

* * *

"So Ichigo-kun came after all?"

Wiping the sweats dripping down his face with a small towel, Mitsutada threw a bottle of mineral water at Tsurumaru who returned to the backstage after him, both already changed from their stage wardrobe into casual clothes. He seemed quite worn out, but a teasing smile was drawn on his face as he said those words to the vocalist who responded excitedly like a child.

"Yeah! Did you see him? Did you see him?!" replied the white hair with his eyes sparkling, almost bouncing up and down where he stood.

"Stay still. You're going to crash into the staffs."

A dull " _smack_ " resounded as Hasebe hit him with his agenda while passing by. Indeed, before Tsurumaru could even complain, several people entered the backstage while carrying some large equipment. Had he really been bouncing there, he would've bumped into them.

"…Why do you always have to hit me…? I was feeling happy until just now," the white hair pursed his lips, pouting while rubbing the back of his head. Mitsutada, on the other hand, could only laugh at the face he was making.

"But it's good that he really came. Have you guys become friends now?" he asked.

"Friends… Well, if you put it that way, maybe yes…I guess," averting his gaze, Tsurumaru scratched the side of his face, neither smiling nor grumbling, "He's always friendly whenever I drop by to the coffee shop where he's working. We exchanged numbers and chats a lot, too."

"That sounds like you two are already friends enough. Why do you still look doubtful?"

"Because…"

"…Because he doesn't remember?"

"That, too. But aside from that, he simply didn't change at all. He's so kind and polite that I can't tell whether he really likes me or if he's just being nice," the white hair sighed. But then he looked at the one-eyed man with pursed lips. "Actually about that… Why didn't any of you tell me if you already remember?"

"Uhh, but… Won't it be weird if we just come up and say something like 'we've been friends since a long time ago'?" attempting to avoid the accusation, Mitsutada tried to look away with an awkward smile, "I mean, even if we did, there's no guarantee you will remember us, so— Eh? Kara-chan, what's wrong?"

Before the one-eyed could finish talking, Ookurikara showed up next to them all of a sudden. With a completely disinterested face, he glanced at the vocalist.

"…You have a guest," he said in a low murmur.

"Huh?"

"You have a guest," he repeated his words flat out and walked away just like that. After the bassist passed, however, the figure of a light blue-haired young man appeared at the backstage door, nervous and confused as he looked around awkwardly. The moment his eyes met Tsurumaru's, the young man's expression brightened in relief.

"Tsurumaru-san…"

"Ichigo, thank you for coming~!" without holding back, Tsurumaru ran to the blue hair and gave him a bear hug. Ichigo Hitofuri smiled despite looking rather suffocated, and afterwards bowed down deeply while conveying his gratitude.

"I should be the one saying that. Thank you for inviting me," he said in a soft voice; a sheepish smile drawn on his face.

"Nah, I love surprising the people I like. Were you surprised when you get the invitation?"

"M-More than that— I… I didn't even know what to say," to the white hair's mischievous smile, Ichigo replied nervously, "I mean, a regular ticket would be fine. VIP seat is a bit…"

"But if you were to stand among thousands of other people, I wouldn't be able to find you, would I?" the vocalist said, leaning forward to draw their faces closer. In the next second Ichigo's face turned bright red.

"Tsuru-san, you're doing that on purpose, aren't you?" Mitsutada approached them, tapping on the vocalist's shoulder as though trying to tell him to cut it out, "Do you love bullying the people you like, too?"

"I'm not bullying him!" the white hair retorted back.

"You are. Look at poor Ichigo-kun. He is already nervous enough without you teasing him," ignoring Tsurumaru's complain, the one-eyed man snorted before shifting his sight to the blue hair, "Hello, Ichigo-kun. Nice to meet you."

"N-Nice to meet you, too, umm… M-Mitsutada…san?" the young man replied, seemingly surprised by the sudden attention given to him, "But how do you…?"

"How do I know you? Well, let's say Tsuru-san here never stops talking about you," he chuckled and showed a friendly smile, "Oh, by the way… If you don't mind me asking, how do you get to the backstage?"

"Ah, the security guards didn't allow me to come in at first. I was about to show them the text message from Tsurumaru-san as he suggested, but then Ookurikara-san told them to let me in when he saw me."

"Ookurikara did?" the white hair stifled his laughter in disbelief.

"Kara-chan? How unusual…" murmuring those words, Mitsutada smiled and threw a glance at the said person who was getting water from their manager a bit further away. From this distance, there was no way he didn't hear what they were saying, but the bassist remained indifferent so the black hair called him. "Say, Kara-chan. Why don't you come over here and join us?"

"…No," replied him bluntly; his face remained cold.

"Aww, come on. You've even helped Ichigo-kun to come in—Hmm?" ignoring Ookurikara's resistance, Mitsutada approached him and was about to pull him along when he stopped abruptly. "Kara-chan, you're sweating a lot, huh? Here."

As he said that, Mitsutada took his own towel and started wiping the other's face like a mother would to his son.

"C-Cut it out, you idiot!"

"Eh? Ah, sorry I got ahead of myself, ahahaha!" it was only when the bassist pushed him away, both irritated and embarrassed, that the one-eyed man realized what he was doing. Still, despite his apology Mitsutada continued wiping Ookurikara's face while laughing at him throwing tantrum.

"Are you trying to show off or what? I'm gonna kick you guys in the face," Tsurumaru exhaled a long sigh, almost tempted to throw the water bottle he was holding at them. Turning at their manager who seemed to be busy talking to the staffs, the white hair waved a hand while calling out to him. "Yo, Hasebe! I'm going back first, okay?"

"Don't you dare running away. We still have an internal meeting to—"

Although the expression on his face was terribly fearsome the moment he looked back, Hasebe stopped himself upon realizing the presence of another person amongst them. Ichigo bowed at him when their eyes met, in which the manager returned with a nod before returning his sight to the white hair standing next to their guest.

"Fine, you can leave first," he said with a weary face, "Good work today. The concert was very successful. I've arranged for you guys to have a day off tomorrow, but if something urgent comes up I'll let you know. Be careful on your way back."

"Sweet! I'm going on ahead then. See ya!" Tsurumaru grinned and draped an arm around Ichigo's shoulder, "Come on, Ichigo. I'll drive you back home."

"Drive?! Y-You don't have to do that!"

"It's fine, it's fine. Why do you think I ask you to meet up with me here in the first place?" the white hair brushed away the other's surprise with a laugh, "Besides, I'm the one who dragged you all the way out here, so it's only right if I take responsibility driving you back home safely. Come on."

"…If you say so…"

And just like that, they strolled out of the backstage. When he walked passed his two friends, Tsurumaru stuck out his tongue at them while mouthing the words " _Stupid Lovebirds_ ", to which Ookurikara responded by trying to break his neck and Mitsutada struggling to stop the bassist from committing a crime.

"The three of you seem very close," Ichigo commented with his face dyed in amusement after the white hair managed to escape death, "How long have you known each other?"

"For as long as we could remember," the vocalist casually replied on purpose. Nevertheless, upon noticing the confusion emerging on the other's face, he covered it up with a chuckle and corrected his remark. "Just kidding. We met a few years ago. Since we got along well and have similar interest in music, eventually we decided to start a band."

"You guys are truly remarkable. To be honest, I don't follow a lot of updates on music, but even someone like me often hears about your band. Didn't you win many awards in your first year?"

"Why, thank you for the compliment," Tsurumaru posed an exaggerated bow, "So? What do you think about tonight's concert? Did we do well?"

"More than that, it was wonderful! I can't thank you enough for inviting me," the blue hair smiled earnestly, "Also, the song performed in the very beginning was very nice. I think it's the best song I've ever heard."

"…?! I-Is that…so…?"

Tsurumaru could feel blood rushing to his face as he quickly averted his gaze so the man walking next to him wouldn't notice. Though he had been joking around like he usually did with others, as expected, Ichigo's straightforwardness could always take him by surprise.

 _"I made that song for you, you idiot…"_

Not long afterwards, their attention was diverted by the gradually elevating noises. From where they stood they could already see the exit only a few more meters away, but beyond the opened door were crowds of people, mostly walking in groups. Obviously, they were the audience that came to see the concert.

"Ahh… I thought we would be safe if we leave through the back door," the white hair sighed, "I forgot the subway is close to the parking lot."

"Do you not want to meet your fans, Tsurumaru-san?"

"Nah, I love my fans, but if there are that many of them, god knows when I'll finally get to go home," replied the vocalist while tying up his hair into a ponytail and put up a pair of fake glasses, "Well, I suppose a little disguise won't hurt. Hopefully they won't find out. Also, Ichigo… Try not to call me by my name until we're already safe in the car."

"How do I call you then?"

"How about ' _Darling_ '?"

"Pfft, ahahaha! Don't you think it's going to attract more attention?"

To such frivolous remark, Ichigo burst out into a fit of laughter. Tsurumaru pursed his lips deliberately, but unbeknownst to the blue hair, when he wasn't looking a subtle smile was drawn on the vocalist's face. Nevertheless, before his companion could realize the expression he was making, the white hair quickly covered it up with various small chats as they exited the concert hall and walked through the crowds.

Since the venue could be easily accessed via public transportation, there weren't many cars to be seen in the parking lot, meaning there were also less people wandering around the vicinity. With Ichigo following closely behind him, Tsurumaru went straight towards a group of cars decorated with the logo of his band's agency. Most of them are big-sized cars that could carry a lot of people and stuffs, but amongst them was a simple black SUV with no distinguishing feature whatsoever. Even the plate number also wasn't easy to memorize.

"We're here," the white hair said while unlocking the doors, "Hop in. Make yourself comfortable."

"T-Thank you," despite the hesitation that remained in his voice, Ichigo did as told and settled in the front seat. He seemed to be fidgeting while the vocalist was busy removing his disguise, but eventually he decided to voice his question. "Tsurumaru-san, didn't you come here together with your colleagues? Why are you driving your own car?"

"Well, I did say I want to drive you back home, didn't I?" Tsurumaru replied with a grin; his hand inserting the key into the ignition.

"…Why…are you being so nice to me?"

When the he said those words, however, the engine started at the same time and his voice was lost in the brief roar it produced.

"Hmm? Sorry, did you say something?" the white hair asked.

"Ah, no, never mind," putting on a smile, Ichigo chuckled and shook his head, "I just thought that since you're a celebrity, your car would be more…flashy, I guess? O-Of course, I don't mean your car doesn't look good. It is simply too normal."

"You're not the first person to say that. Some of my friends also told me the same," replied Tsurumaru while fixing his position on the driver's seat, "Flashy cars are cool, but then people can easily spot you. Plus, as long as it works well and is comfortable, who cares?"

"I suppose you're right. If I were a public figure, I don't want people to know where and when I'm going every single time," the blue hair nodded to himself, "By the way, Tsurumaru-san… Do you know exactly where I live or should I show you the way?"

"Come to think of it… I kinda know the area, but I've never really been there. Can you guide me when we're there?"

"Certainly."

"Then off we go!"

As the white hair stepped on the gas, their car left the parking lot towards the main road. Because it was in the weekend, even though midnight was around the corner there had yet to be any sign that the city was going to sleep. The streets weren't necessarily crowded, but many cars and people could still be seen wandering around the area, particularly where all the fancy shops and restaurants were.

"Say, Ichigo…" Tsurumaru called the man beside him as he drove, "Do you live alone?"

"Yes, since my parents are living in another town due to my father's work."

"Why didn't you go with them?"

"I was third year in high school back then, so we decided it would be too much of a hassle if I change school," said the blue hair, "Furthermore, I want to continue living and working in this town. That's why I didn't follow them even after I graduated."

"I see… Any siblings?"

"Yes, I have many younger brothers," as he said this, Ichigo's face suddenly brightened, "Our age gap is quite big. Two of them are now in high school, but the rest are still in elementary school."

"Hee… Are they still living with your parents?"

"Yeah… To be honest, although I did say I want to keep living in this town, parting with them was very difficult," with a bitter smile, the blue hair sighed. Realizing that the vocalist was staring at him, however, he immediately returned the smile back to his face and added. "But we always meet once in a month. Sometimes I go to my parents' house, sometimes they come to see me. Though, since my apartment is small, it is quite difficult to squeeze everyone in."

"That sounded like a lot of fun. They must love you very much."

"They are very precious to me. I hope…one day I will be strong enough to support everyone so we can all live together."

As Ichigo said those words earnestly, he was unaware that in his mind, Tsurumaru was having different thought. He knew who those younger brothers were even if he had no idea whether they remembered him or not. Nevertheless, perhaps it didn't really matter since they wouldn't be happy to see him hanging around their beloved Ichi- _nii_ no matter in which lifetime.

 _"The brats should learn how to share. They're not the only ones who have the right to love and be loved by Ichigo."_

"Tsurumaru-san? What's wrong? You're frowning."

"Eh? Ah, ahahaha. No, never mind," surprised by the sudden call, the white hair abruptly tried to cover it up with an awkward laugh. It was fortunate that his companion only stared at him in confusion for a bit before leaning back to his seat.

The car kept moving onwards as they immersed themselves in conversations. Not long after that, a residential area appeared within their sight where a building stood tall not far from where the houses were. It was neither old nor new, seemingly intended for middle class citizens. And when they reached the front gate, Ichigo asked for the car to be stopped.

"Here is fine," he said while pointing at the gate, "It is rather narrow up ahead so it might be difficult for you to turn around later."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. My apartment is on the first floor anyway," the blue hair smiled, "Tsurumaru-san, thank you so much for everything. Today, I'm so happy to be able to watch your concert."

"Don't mention it. I'm glad that you came," the vocalist returned his smile, "Let's hang out again some times. I'll treat you to lunch or dinner. Your choice."

"You're too kind…" as he said this, Ichigo slightly hung his head down with an indescribable expression. There was a brief silent between them until the blue hair lifted his face; their gold-colored eyes met each other's. "Actually, Tsurumaru-san… Awhile back I was about to ask you something…if you don't mind, that is."

"Sure. What is it?"

"…Why…are you being so nice to me?"

The vocalist didn't answer immediately. Though he managed to hide his surprise, he couldn't deny that he was taken aback by the sudden question, but at the same time a certain thought rose into his mind.

How easy it would be if only he could simply say " _We were lovers in our previous life_ ", but Tsurumaru knew he must keep it to himself. Even if the person before him now was the same Ichigo Hitofuri, there was no guarantee this person had the same feeling towards him as he did hundreds of years ago. In the first place, the fact stood still that this Ichigo had no memories at all of who he was and Tsurumaru didn't want to push his luck any further.

It was enough that he could be by his side for now.

"What are you saying?" posing his usual grin, Tsurumaru ruffled those strands of light blue hair while laughing, "Didn't I tell you that I like you? Why wouldn't I treat you nicely then?"

"…Is…that so…?" at first, Ichigo appeared to be at loss of words, but it didn't take long for him to lighten up and chuckled, "Somehow, I'm happy to hear that. I also like Tsurumaru-san very much."

To that innocent smile, Tsurumaru wasn't sure whether he should be happy or crying. While it was good that Ichigo stayed with him not because he was just being nice, at the same time he felt a pricking pain in his heart, knowing very well that this person's 'like' was clearly different from his. Nevertheless, once again he decided that this was enough for now as he draped an arm around the other's shoulders.

"Yeah? Then let's hang out together from now on. Expect lots of surprise from me in the coming days," he said with a mischievous smile, to which the blue hair responded with a bashful laugh.

"I promise I will return the favor one day."

After that, they said goodbye and wished each other good night. Ichigo stepped out of the car, trotting on the street until he finally reached the apartment building. Tsurumaru, on the other hand, remained leaning against the steering wheel without taking his eyes of the man who had been with him until just now; his eyes following that person's every move until he finally disappeared beyond one of the doors. It might sound like an exaggeration, but after Ichigo left, Tsurumaru really did feel the car was too big for him alone, even though he had owned it for awhile.

 _["I also like Tsurumaru-san very much."]_

"Dammit. That's not fair, Ichigo…" burying his face on his arms, the vocalist let out a long sigh. Deep down, he knew he shouldn't expect anything more than a casual relationship between friends, but after all this time he spent living with inexpressible longing clawing at his heart, hearing that kind of words from the very person whom he'd been missing was simply too much.

 _["I think it's the best song I've ever heard."]_

The honest smile Ichigo had on his face when saying those words floated back into his mind. Before he knew it, Tsurumaru already entered the apartment area, parking his car near the residents' and walked up to the door which the blue hair had entered. Without a pause, he knocked on the door.

"Tsurumaru-san? Why are you— H-Huh?!"

Obviously, Ichigo was extremely surprised to find him standing there, but before he could finish his words, Tsurumaru already rushed at him and embraced him tight. He couldn't see his expression for the white hair hid his face on his shoulder. However, despite being caught off guard at first, a worried look immediately rose to ichigo's face as he touched those arms circling around him.

"Tsurumaru-san, are you alright?" he asked; his voice clearly dyed with concern, "Tsurumaru-san? Are you feeling unwell? Are you tired? If yes, you shouldn't drive home like this. Would you like to come in first?"

Those words came out so naturally that Tsurumaru could feel no ulterior motive behind them. He himself couldn't understand why he suddenly decided to chase after this guy, but after hearing the continuous questions bombarded at him for his action, for some reason the corners of his lips were drawn into a smile.

"Ichigo…" he called the blue hair's name.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"…I'm tired."

Immediately after he mumbled that answer, Ichigo exhaled a deep breath and slightly distanced themselves while still holding onto his arm.

"Thank goodness. I thought something happened to you," he looked at him in relief, "I was afraid it would be something like our first meeting. I wouldn't know what to do if you fainted all of a sudden."

"Just now… Were you worried about me?"

"Of course I was!"

So naïve… But at the same time, it was the reason why he fell for this person in the first place. With the way he behaved, there was no doubt that Ichigo was vulnerable to whatever foul play he'd been plotting, but once he saw those eyes earnestly staring at him out of concern, Tsurumaru knew he could never have the heart to betray them.

"I would be imposing on you tonight…if you don't mind…" he said as a small smile rose to his thin lips.

"Don't say that. Please come in, Tsurumaru-san. You've been working very hard today."

Even if friendly relationship was the only thing they could have now, it would be alright as long as they were together, Tsurumaru repeated those words to himself as he entered the modest apartment.

Nevertheless, little did they know that the tender moment they briefly shared before they shut the door tight wouldn't remain their small little secret any longer.


	3. Chapter 3

_It was the phase of new moon that night. The sky was dark and cloudy, leaving no place for even the brightest star to emit a twinkle. Even when some of the lights at the Citadel remained ablaze after everyone went to bed, still it was difficult to move around without at least lighting up a torch._

 _Amongst the many rooms where the swords were resting was one where a pair was sleeping next to each other. One was a light blue haired young man, while the other resembled the color of white entirely. However, even though they were lying in their respective beds, apparently only one was actually sleeping._

 _"…It's about time."_

 _Mumbling those words to himself, Tsurumaru rose from his futon. His golden eyes were clear, meaning that he had remained awake all this while. On the other hand, the blue hair next to him was shifting and tossing under the blanket, and as he drew closer to the other man, the crane watched him silently._

 _"Ungh…"_

 _"Ichigo," he called his name softly, "Ichigo, are you alright?"_

 _"…hurt... e… Help…me…"_

 _"Ichigo."_

 _"…?"_

 _Ichigo Hitofuri's eyelids fluttered, revealing a pair of similar golden eyes underneath. Unlike Tsurumaru's, they were moist and red; his rough breathings appeared painful to whoever that saw it. Lost and confused, he could only stare at the person in front of him without saying a word._

 _"It's me. Don't you recognize me?" the white hair asked._

 _"…Tsurumaru…dono…"_

 _"Yeah. I'm right here."_

 _To those gentle words, Ichigo Hitofuri remained silent. He bit his lips; his fists were clenching tight at the sheets of the futon. As a tear drop fell from his eyes, in the next second he rushed at the crane and threw himself into his arms._

 _"Tsurumaru-dono—!"_

 _"There, there… Was it scary?" the white hair asked. Unable to bring himself to form any words, Ichigo could only nod as Tsurumaru kept rubbing his back. "Does this still hurt?"_

 _"I…don't know…"_

 _"It's alright now. You're safe here," as he whispered gently, Tsurumaru kissed those strands of blue hair, "But you can cry as much as you want if that will make you feel better."_

 _Although Ichigo did not say anything, the white hair could feel the young man clutching even tighter onto him. Even then, Tsurumaru knew very well what caused this usually composed man to behave like this almost every single night. Indeed, it must be traumatizing to not be able to do anything while one's body was engulfed in flame._

 _"…I apologize," after calming down, the blue hair awkwardly wiped the tears away from his face while looking down, "I've always troubled you just because of this recurring nightmare. I'm sorry to wake you up."_

 _"Why would you say that? As your lover, am I not supposed to be there whenever my beloved needs help?" with a cheerful smile, Tsurumaru lifted his hands and rubbed the other's face, "Also, I'm still awake so you don't have to worry about that."_

 _To his answer, Ichigo's gold-colored eyes stared at him for awhile._

 _"…Tsurumaru-dono," he called out to the white hair, "Could it be that you are also scared?"_

 _"Scared? Me? Why would I?"_

 _"Are you scared…that someone might take you away in your sleep like before?"_

 _The white hair was taken aback. Never once in his lifetime would he expect someone to bluntly ask him about this matter._

 _"It's true, isn't it?" Ichigo looked at him with a worried face, "You're always looking out for me, but at the same time you're also constantly on guard. I'm sorry for not noticing this sooner."_

 _"L-Like I said, why are you apologizing?" attempting to gather back his composure, Tsurumaru covered his surprise with a laugh, "It's normal if one is unable to sleep every once in awhile, isn't it?"_

 _Instead of responding with an answer, Ichigo lifted himself and wrapped his arms around the other's neck, gently pulling the white hair close to him. Although he was usually the one pulling pranks to surprise others, this time Tsurumaru Kuninaga could not deny that he was really startled for someone as calm as Ichigo Hitofuri to take the initiative._

 _"It's alright, Tsurumaru-dono," the blue hair whispered to him in a soft voice, "You are safe here. No one is going to take you away. I will not let them to."_

 _"…I really can't beat you, can I?" with a voice of resign, Tsurumaru sighed deeply as the corners of his lips were drawn into a smile, "It's true that my past experiences still worry me sometimes, but if I have to put it into words…"_

 _He returned the blue hair's embrace, inhaling his scent while resting himself against his chest._

 _"If there is something I'm scared of right now… I'm scared if someone were to take me away in my sleep, then I would be separated from you indefinitely."_

* * *

"What do you have to say to this?"

It was the morning after the concert. Even though last night he was informed that today would be their day off, a call from Hasebe very early in the morning woke Tsurumaru from his slumber. To be precise, it was actually Ichigo who shook him awake while telling him there was an urgent call from his manager, asking him to gather at the studio as soon as possible.

Although the message left him in utter confusion, the blue hair looked so worried that Tsurumaru couldn't even think of joking around. Furthermore, he stubbornly remained quiet as a clam no matter how many times the vocalist asked him what the matter was. And even as he drove Ichigo to the coffee shop on his way to the studio, the two of them didn't say a word the entire way until they parted.

When he finally arrived there, the first thing Tsurumaru saw was the brown-haired manager and his two friends waiting for him in the lounge with grim expression.

"What do you have to say to this?" not even a second after the vocalist settled down on his seat, Hasebe repeated his question in a stern voice, pointing at a magazine lying on the table in front of them. As Tsurumaru slightly leaned forward, he saw an article on the opened page. It wasn't necessarily a long coverage, and yet the moment he laid his eyes on it, the title struck him like a thunder in broad daylight.

 _ONE-EYED DRAGON VOCALIST DATING A MAN?_

It was written in such conspicuous letter that anyone reading the magazine would never miss it. Underneath the title were several paragraphs delving further into the topic, but Tsurumaru's eyes were fixated on the single picture pasted on that very same page. He didn't even need to have a closer look; it was a photo of him when he hugged Ichigo in front of his apartment last night.

"Why…? How…?"

"That's supposed to be my question. Didn't I tell you to be careful?" the manager glared at him, "You've experienced for yourself how it feels to be stalked by a paparazzi. Why didn't you learn from that?"

"But, I…" Tsurumaru was at loss of words. At this moment, Mitsutada would usually interfere to cool down the atmosphere, but when he turned at him, even the one-eyed man seemed to be troubled that the vocalist was forced to defend himself. "But it wasn't what it looked like!"

"What was not what it looked like?"

"That photo!" Tsurumaru almost shouted, abruptly pointing at the magazine. The entire room was dyed in complete silence, and after a few seconds passed without any response from either one of his colleagues, the vocalist fell back to his seat, brushing back his hair with a frustrated look. "It's not… It's not what you think it is…"

"…So you're not going out with Ichigo-kun?" asked Mitsutada.

"How could I? He doesn't even remember me one bit."

"I see. Well, Hasebe-kun… It seems that Tsuru-san is telling the truth. The title of this article is misleading," he said to their manager.

"I agree with you, but this and that are completely different matters," the brown hair folded his arms, "It isn't the problem of whether the two of them are going out or not. The fact stands that someone captured the moment when they were hugging for whatever purpose and shared it on the net and to the media."

"…There's an update."

All of a sudden, Ookurikara who had remained quiet all this time let out a sigh. He showed his phone to them, and taking it from the bassist's hand, Mitsutada read the content aloud.

"One-Eyed Dragon's vocalist, Tsurumaru Kuninaga, was seen leaving the apartment together with the young man whom he was rumored to be going out with this morning. Some residents confirmed they had seen his car parked there since last night, further elevating the rumors of their relationship after the two was spotted embracing each other outside the young man's home, following the band's successful comeback concert."

"See? All these news have been spreading since dawn. I myself was informed by my friend who's working for this magazine this morning," Hasebe said while jerking his chin at the opened page, "This issue will be published tomorrow, but in the meantime, countless articles have been posted online and there's no way we can stop them."

"Wait, if they see us hugging and leaving the apartment, doesn't that mean they already know where Ichigo's living?!" Tsurumaru's eyes widened.

"Certainly. It is only a matter of time until his identity is exposed."

"I have to tell him—"

"Where do you think you're going, Tsurumaru Kuninaga?" just when the vocalist had taken his first step, the manager raised his voice. The three of them, including Mitsutada and Ookurikara, were so startled they couldn't say even a word of response.

Indeed, Hasebe had always been a strict man, but he had never once used this kind of tone when speaking to them.

"I'm asking you, where do you think you're going?" he repeated his question, "Although you didn't do it on purpose, this wouldn't have happened if only you had been a bit more careful. Don't you think you should at least take responsibility for this mess?"

"That's why I'm going to—"

"Going to what?"

"The hell is your problem, Hasebe?! I'm gonna go tell Ichigo to be careful!"

"And what will happen if you do that?" unshaken by the vocalist's outburst, the brown hair's voice didn't change, "What will happen if you did go tell Ichigo Hitofuri to be careful."

"What do you mean what will happen?"

"Yes, what do you think will happen if they see you meeting up with him under these circumstances?" the manager stared at him.

"That's…"

The white hair couldn't find the words to get back at him. Hasebe was right. If people saw him together with Ichigo right now…

"In your head you're only thinking about yourself and him. While I have nothing against Ichigo-kun, don't you realize there are other people who will face the same consequences as you do if this matter goes on?" said the manager again, "Let me asked you something… How long have you known Ichigo-kun?"

"…Since I met him after we were summoned by our last Master," not liking where this conversation was heading to, Tsurumaru answered in a low voice.

"And how long have you known Mitsutada and Ookurikara?"

"…For as long as I could remember."

There was a heavy pause in the room; none of them opened their mouth to say something. Tsurumaru dropped his gaze to the floor; Mitsutada was fidgeting in his seat while Ookurikara remained indifferent. Eventually, Hasebe turned on his heels and headed for the door.

"You have 24 hours," he said, looking back over his shoulder, "If you couldn't solve this problem until then, the agency will do whatever it takes to ensure everything goes back to normal."

And just like that, he left the room.

"…Umm… Tsuru-san…" after several minutes went by in complete silence, Mitsutada walked up to the vocalist's side and softly put his hand on his shoulder, "Please don't be offended by what Hasebe-kun said. His words were harsh, but he didn't mean it like that."

"…"

"I mean… He tried his best to negotiate with the higher ups, but he was only granted 24 hours. They wouldn't listen to anything he said because they were afraid this might become a real scandal."

"…Why?" Tsurumaru clenched his fists. Not even looking at the one-eyed man beside him, the white hair gritted his teeth, "I didn't even ask to be allowed to go out with him. Isn't it normal for friends to hug? Am I not even allowed to just meet and hang out with him as friends?"

"Tsuru-san…"

"It's not fair!" he frowned in frustration, "Why is it that nobody complains when the two of you are seen together, but when it's me, they make such a big deal out of it?!"

"That's… I… We don't mean to…"

Before Mitsutada could finish speaking, the white hair stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He didn't even look back when the one-eye attempted to call out to him and chase him into the corridor.

"…Where did he go?" upon seeing the black hair returned empty-handed afterwards, Ookurikara lifted his face and asked.

"He went home…I think…" replied Mitsutada with his shoulders slumped. He returned to his seat next to the bassist, but he said nothing more. Seeing the usually talkative guy had his lips shut tight like this, in the end Ookurikara had no choice but to break the silence by himself.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"…"

"Oi."

"…Say, Kara-chan…" the one-eye muttered under his breath, "Is it okay if I borrow you shoulder for awhile?"

This time, it was the bassist's turn to say nothing in return. When he whispered " _Go ahead_ ", however, the black hair immediately rested his head on him.

"…Did Tsurumaru say something?"

"No," Mitsutada shook his head, "He just left."

"I see."

"…Kara-chan," once again, the one-eye called him, "The four of us have been through a lot in the past, but… Do you think… Do you think we're going to be separated after this?"

"Who knows…"

"Hahaha, you're really not helping, you know?"

To the bassist's apathetic reply, Mitsutada laughed bitterly. But even that laugh soon disappeared as he fell silent again. In an awkward gesture as though he was in doubt, he tried hugging Ookurikara's arms. But upon seeing no resistance from the other man, the black hair tightened his clutch and remained leaning against him for a long time.

* * *

The bed creaked slightly when Tsurumaru shifted to his side. Looking out through the glass door of the balcony, he saw the sky already dyed in gold; the sun seemingly closing to the west. It was still in the morning when he left the studio, but as he turned on his cell phone, the display showed that it was already late in the afternoon.

" _Did I fall asleep?"_

The vocalist groaned; his supposedly well-tended white hair now looking even messier as he ruffled them. For a brief moment, he sat on the side of his bed while casting a blank stare outside. But not long after that, he exhaled a long, heavy sigh with a tired face.

 _"What the hell was I doing…?"_

He scolded himself, landing a weak punch on the wrinkled sheets. Almost at the same time, however, he heard a sound coming from the front door. Someone was ringing the bell.

"Tch… Who is it at a time like this…" clicking his tongue in irritation, the white hair lazily dragged himself out while yelling at the guest from inside, "Yeah? Who is it?"

Not even bothering to take care of his messy hair, Tsurumaru strolled to the front door and opened it without much thinking. Nevertheless, the moment he saw who was standing there in wait for him, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

"What the f—?! What are you doing here, Ookurikara?!"

"Aren't you rude?" the bassist said with his face clearly annoyed.

"…Did you come here to punch me in the face?"

"I really should've done that, huh?"

"Well…" not able to think of a comeback, Tsurumaru averted his eyes. Eventually he stepped aside to make way for his guest. "Anyway, come in first."

He led the bassist to the living room where the later then quietly settled down on the couch. Pouring him a cup of tea, at last the white hair could no longer stand such obvious silence between the two of them. As awkward as it could be, he spouted the first question that came to his mind.

"Mitsutada isn't with you?"

"Are you picking a fight?"

"Uhh, no. That was a stupid question, sorry…" Tsurumaru scratched the back of his head, averting his eyes again. For a second, he wasn't sure whether it would be more difficult to talk to this guy than to solve the problem he was currently facing.

"…Mitsutada is worried," after a brief pause, the bassist unexpectedly talked first as he took a sip of his tea, "He's afraid we might separate after this."

"Separate?"

"For starter, the band might break up."

The vocalist was just about to drink his tea, but his hands were stopped the moment he heard Ookurikara's remark. As if petrified, he stayed like a statue before finally returning the cup back to the table. His golden eyes – casted down to the floor – seemed darkened.

"I…" he said in hesitation, "I'm…not really sure what to say at this moment, but… First of all, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lashed out at you and Mitsutada like that."

"…"

"And… And Hasebe, too. I know he means well. It's my fault and no one else's, but you guys are dragged into this because of me."

He knew Hasebe was right when he said this wouldn't have happened if he were to be a bit more careful. He of all people should've understood…that as the vocalist, he was the face of the band. If he were to be involved in some negative rumors or even a scandal, the whole band would be viewed negatively, as well, and god knew how long it would take to restore their current hard-gained success. Even Hasebe would most likely have a lot of trouble with the higher ups since he was their manager.

"If you realize that, then that's good," replied Ookurikara, still retaining his composure, "So? What are you planning to do now?"

"Is it really up to me to do something?"

"The agency will take their own measure otherwise. You must've known what they would do, more or less."

"Yeah…" to the bassist's remark, Tsurumaru could only hang his head down. Of course he knew. It was he himself who said that Ichigo was only a friend. "In the first place, the media's claim is merely based on circumstantial evidences. Even I can easily make my own statement to clear the matter at hand."

"But you don't want to do it."

"If I were to do that…" the vocalist smiled bitterly, "Then Ichigo would be forever beyond my reach, wouldn't he? Because if one way or the other we do end up dating in the future, it would overthrow the official statement we make now and damage both the band and the agency even more."

To his answer, Ookurikara simply watched him silently. Tsurumaru had no idea what this guy was thinking; he probably never would. However, as he was pondering on it, the bassist leaned back to his chair and sighed.

"I wouldn't mind that much if the band were to break up."

"Huh?"

"It's not like I'm doing it because I want to. You were the one who invited Mitsutada and I to join anyway, so it's your choice if you want to break it up."

"You make it sound so easy," the white hair seemed displeased, "Are you saying the band is not important for me?"

"If Hasebe hadn't stopped you then, you would've gone to that guy's place without even thinking twice, right? In the end, the band only becomes a burden."

"It's not like that! I—" Tsurumaru bit his lips; his brows knitted together as his expression grew clouded, "You guys are my important friends. I'm not saying you're a second priority. It's just…"

He covered his face with both hands in frustration.

"It's just… He is also a very important person for me."

He didn't know what else to say. No matter how hard he thought it over, there were only two ways out; either he chose Ichigo while risking the band they had build together to fall or he chose the band and risking that in this lifetime he might never be able to have that person in his arms ever again. Time was running out for him, but neither the first nor second choice appeared to be a good solution.

And yet without even changing the way he spoke, Ookurikara put his phone on the table right in front of him.

"…What is this?"

"Just see for yourself," the bassist answered nonchalantly, "You might be able to make up your mind after reading that."

Tsurumaru stared at his guest with doubtful eyes. Nevertheless, he still took the phone offered to him and read the content displayed on the screen. It was one of those famous infotainment websites with the top most article titled with " _Who is Tsurumaru Kuninaga's Rumored Lover?_ "

"What the hell?!" the vocalist cursed, "They found out where Ichigo works and snapped some pictures of him?!"

"Well? What are you going to do?"

"What am I…"

Once again, Tsurumaru bit his lips. He really didn't want to give up the band he'd created with Mitsutada and Ookurikara. He really didn't want to make all the efforts Hasebe had put to help them succeed to go to waste. He didn't want to sacrifice any of his friends, but when he looked at all the pictures published on the net once again…

"…Say, Ookurikara…" the white hair muttered; his expression unclear due to the fact that the strands of his bangs covered the upper half of his face, "What did you come here for, actually?"

"I was seriously considering punching you in the face, but you seem to have realized your mistake, so I didn't do it," replied the bassist without even changing the tone of his indifferent voice.

"Haha, is that so…" Tsurumaru let out a dry laugh. The smile soon vanished from his face, however, as he stood and returned the phone he was holding to its rightful owner; his gold-colored eyes looked straight at the other's. "I'm going to do something really bad, so… If you wanna hit me, now is the time."

"Why should I waste my energy for that? You're not gonna change your mind either way."

"That's true," the vocalist replied, letting out an exasperated sigh, "I'm sorry, Ookurikara. If you see Mitsutada and Hasebe, please tell them my apology, as well."

The bassist said nothing in response. Nevertheless, his face didn't show any expression of anger or disappointment. Instead, he only stared back at the white hair as if asking him why he was still standing there despite the decision he'd just made. To this sight, Tsurumaru couldn't stop a regretful smile from breaking out on his face.

"I'm sorry…" he said once again, "I'll meet you guys again after this. That is, if you're still willing to see me."

"…I lied," all of a sudden, the bassist responded. He looked at the white hair as the later stared at him in both surprise and confusion. "I came here because Mitsutada didn't have the guts to tell you directly."

"Mitsutada?"

" _I wouldn't mind that much if the band were to break up_ ," to Tsurumaru's question, the bassist repeated the words he'd said merely a few minutes ago, " _I'd be happy, too, if you're happy. I just hope we can all still be together after this._ "

As if waiting for his reaction, Ookurikara remained staring at the white hair afterwards. Tsurumaru opened his mouth to say something, but closed them again. For the last time today he casted his gaze to the floor, and yet eventually he clenched his fists and looked back at the man in front of him with a subtle smile.

"Then… If you see Mitsutada later, tell him I will treat all of you for a drink one of these days."

Without waiting for an answer, Tsurumaru rushed to get his car key. Putting on his jacket, the vocalist dashed out of his apartment with only a single destination in his mind.

 _"Thank you, everyone. I'm sorry for letting you down…"_


	4. Chapter 4

_"Tsurumaru-dono, good afternoon."_

 _"Hmm? Is it Ichigo? Have you returned from the final Sortie?" turning his gaze towards the soft voice calling to his name, a smile was drawn on Tsurumaru Kuninaga's face upon finding the light blue hair standing next to him, "So, how was it?"_

 _"We have successfully completed the last mission. At last, the war with the Historical Revisionists is over," returning the other's smile, Ichigo Hitofuri settled down next to him, "What about you, Tsurumaru-dono? Weren't you assigned on an Expedition?"_

 _"Likewise, our team has also accomplished the final task. In fact, I have just returned not so long ago," replied Tsurumaru calmly. Returning his gaze to the Citadel's large pond before him, several cherry blossom petals seemed to fall onto the water surface one after another._

 _At his composed gesture, the blue hair was prompted to do the same. For a short while, the two of them remained in tranquility._

 _"…It's finally time, isn't it?" all of a sudden, Ichigo Hitofuri broke the silence, "Tomorrow, we will not be able to see this scenery ever again."_

 _"Yeah."_

 _"The Master would have to return us to where we are supposed to belong. I wonder if our soul will remain in the swords and live on…? It's quite curious."_

 _"That's true._

 _"Tsurumaru-dono," his golden eyes looked at the other's, "Don't you feel anything at all?"_

 _"Hmm? Whatever do you mean by that?"_

 _"Although I am glad that we manage to accomplish our purpose for coming here, I feel miserable to be separated from my brothers. I'm very happy that I can live together with them like this, but once we are returned to our respective places, we might not be able to see each other again."_

 _"…"_

 _"And…" he continued, now casting his gaze down, "Even though we aren't bound as a family, when I think that tomorrow I will not see Tsurumaru-dono again, I…"_

 _"Do you feel sad that you can't see me anymore, Ichigo?"_

 _"Don't you, Tsurumaru-dono?" the blue hair returned his question, but instead of answering, the crane pulled him into his arms and embraced his so tightly that Ichigo thought he might suffocate._

 _"I feel so miserable," contrary to the composed tone he'd been using up till a few moments ago, Tsurumaru's voice sounded restrained, "But as strange as it might seem, at the same time I feel happy that you say that. Have you come to love me back, Ichigo?"_

 _"Of course I have!"_

 _"Can you tell me that you love me?"_

 _"I love you," with a face full of certainty, the blue hair looked up at the man in front of him, "I love you, Tsurumaru-dono."_

 _"And so do I. Ichigo Hitofuri, I love you so very much."_

 _Their lips met each other's as they engaged in a tender, yet passionate kiss. Their eyes, shining with the same gold color, gazed at each other's as though they were locked until the crane softly touched Ichigo's face._

 _"If we are born in another life," he whispered in a gentle voice, "Are you still willing to be my lover?"_

 _"Of course. I sincerely wish for us to meet again," replied the blue hair; a sad, yet loving smile drawn on his face._

 _"Then, it's a promise," Tsurumaru kissed the back of his lover's hand, "If we are ever to meet again, I will propose to you with exactly the same words I have said to you in this life. At that time, I hope your feelings for me have not changed."_

* * *

It was already sunset by the time Tsurumaru arrived at the building where Ichigo lived. As he parked his car and dropped off the ride, he looked around to find no journalists lurking around the vicinity. And yet it only meant that they managed to hide themselves well. In a few minutes, he was sure there would be articles online about him visiting his "rumored lover" again.

 _"There's no way they'd miss spotting my car here."_

The white hair paid no attention, however, and headed to one of the apartments on the first floor upon stepping out of his ride. Closing his eyes while inhaling a deep breath, he lifted one hand and knocked at the door.

"Ichigo, are you home?" he called, "It's me."

It took awhile until he finally heard the door being unlocked from inside. Slowly, the figure of the blue hair peeked out from the small space of the opened door, looking up at him timidly.

"T-Tsurumaru-san…?"

"Yo," the vocalist showed him a subtle smile. They had only parted ways this morning, but it felt as though he hadn't seen Ichigo for a long time. At the same time, a wave of guilt struck him right in the heart when he recalled the photos in the article Ookurikara had shown him awhile ago.

He didn't need to ask why this young man didn't even dare to step outside; from his working place until back here, Ichigo had literally been chased down by the media like a hunted animal.

"Are they… Are they still here? The journalist, I mean," still in a small voice, the blue hair asked.

"I didn't see any of them when I arrived, but I bet they're hiding around here somewhere," the vocalist shrugged his shoulders before looking back at the person in front of him, "Anyway, could you please come out for a bit? I have something I need to tell you."

"But the journalists…"

"They're gonna try to eavesdrop either way, so it won't make any difference," Tsurumaru forced a laugh, "Also, I have a feeling you might kick me out after listening to what I'm going to say, so it's better to just talk outside."

"I-I could never—"

"Ichigo…" the vocalist called him in a gentle, yet seemingly desperate voice, "Please?"

Not expecting to hear his pleading out of the blue, Ichigo was taken aback. His hands were still clutching at the doorknob as he contemplated, but after a brief pause, the young man finally came out. Nevertheless, knowing very well that what they were doing and saying was most likely being watched left him fidgeting restlessly as he stood before the white hair.

"Umm… So… What would you like to talk about, Tsurumaru-san?"

"Yeah… There are two things, basically," the vocalist sighed; an apologetic smile was drawn on his face, "First of all, I'm sorry to drag you into all this. If it wasn't for my irresponsible act, you would never have been exposed to the media. Not like this, at the very least."

"W-Why would you apologize over something like that? You didn't do any wrong."

"I have been warned to be careful with what I do in public, and yet I blindly followed my feelings. As the result, I made you went through such horrible experience."

"But I—"

"You picked up the call from Hasebe this morning, right?" Tsurumaru asked, "Did he tell you not to meet me again? Is that why you didn't speak a single word even when I was asking you?"

"N-No, that's not it," Ichigo shook his head, "He only asked me what we were doing last night."

"And? What did you tell him?"

"I said you were tired after the concert and you had to drive me back home, so I invited you to spend the night in my house. Otherwise, it would be dangerous if you kept driving under that condition," the blue hair responded; his brows knitted together as he tried to explain, "But afterwards he told me that a lot of articles have been spreading around, claiming that we are going out. That's why I thought…"

He hung his head down.

"I thought… Your career is threatened because of me…"

After all the troubles he'd gone through, still Ichigo didn't blame him although both of them knew very well who started all this mess. Had he not held himself back at that moment, Tsurumaru might've rushed at the blue hair and squeezed him in his arms.

"…You're too nice," in the end, the vocalist only sighed once more, "Even though you have all the rights to say it was I who hugged you all of a sudden."

"Certainly, I was surprised. But you mean no harm, so you are not at fault."

"Yeah… About that, there's still one more thing I want to tell you—" Tsurumaru stopped himself midway. Turning back to face the narrow yard and streets, he opened his mouth and spoke without holding back. "I know you guys are there. Come out now, there's no more need to hide."

At his remark, it didn't take long for several journalists to finally show up from their hiding places; some of them had even gotten quite close to record everything the both of them had been talking about. Ichigo shrank back immediately upon seeing those people closing in, but before he could run back into his apartment, the vocalist caught him by the wrist.

"Wait."

"But these people, they're—"

"I know. I want them to hear this, as well, so it doesn't matter."

Bewilderment appeared on the blue hair's face and he didn't hide it. At the same time, Tsurumaru noticed that all the reporters were paying full attention to every single word he said; some even appeared to be making notes even though their colleagues already had a camera ready. Inhaling a deep breath one more time, he let go of Ichigo's hand and looked at him.

"I come here to fulfill a promise I made with someone a very long time ago," he said to him, "By doing this, I know I might bring down the band I've built together with my friends. By doing this, I know I might get the agency into trouble and more importantly, disappoint the fans who have been supporting us. I know I might be risking my own career as an artist, however…"

He stopped there on purpose. Despite knowing very well that everything he'd said and done would be aired for all to see not long after this, he held out his hand towards the blue hair in front of him, gazing into his eyes with a determined look.

"Won't you be my lover, Ichigo Hitofuri?"

There was a pause. Neither Ichigo nor any of the journalists raised their voice, but Tsurumaru could see all the reporters having the same dumbfounded look on their faces. They must've not expected to hear him saying such a thing, but the white hair paid no more attention to them. Instead, he remained staring at the young man before him who stood petrified as if he was nailed to the floor.

"…W-What…" upon discovering his voice back, the blue hair stuttered, "What are you saying, I…"

His breathings grew restless; his golden eyes not focusing. He seemed to be looking back at the white hair standing in front of him, but at the same time it looked as though he was looking at something else.

"W-What is this…? Why am I…?" surprised and confused, his body began to shake as he covered his face with both hands.

Nevertheless, Tsurumaru said nothing. He simply took a step forward, pulling the blue hair into his arms who strangely put no resistance when he was being held.

"That's how it is," the vocalist looked at the cameras directed at him, "This is enough, isn't it? I apologize to everyone for acting so selfishly, but may I please ask you to kindly stop questioning and chasing him from now on? I will answer everything you want me to later, so… Please, just leave him alone. He is a very important person for me."

After saying that, Tsurumaru brought the blue hair back into his own apartment and closed the door behind them, not caring how those reporters would react to what he'd just said. Once they were inside, he wrapped his arms around the man in his embrace and kissed the top of his head without saying anything.

"What's with these tears? Why… Why am I crying?" Ichigo's voice trembled as he kept his face buried on his palms. From the gaps between his fingers, several teardrops began to fall from his eyes. "Tsurumaru-san, what… What did you do to me?"

"Shall I tell you a story?" instead of answering the other's question, the white hair loosened his hug and circled his hands around Ichigo's waist, "A very long time ago, I was taken in my sleep by people who desired to have me in their possession. It made me afraid to fall asleep at night, because I was worried someone might kidnap me again."

Looking up at the ceiling, the vocalist continued despite the bewildered look staring at him.

"But then I met someone. He also had his fair share of trauma in the past, even worse than mine, so I thought I had to protect him from the recurring nightmare haunting him every night. However, do you know what this person told me then?"

Ichigo didn't try to hide his confusion, but still he remained quiet and listened to what the man in front of him was saying. Upon being faced by that question, slowly he shook his head.

 _"It's alright, Tsurumaru-dono. You are safe here. No one is going to take you away. I will not let them to,"_ the white hair repeated the words said to him in the far past he'd recalled, "Funny, isn't it? I tried to protect him, but he protected me instead. And yet it made me felt even more insecure, because if someone were to take me away in my sleep, it meant I would be separated from him."

"…Then…what happened to that person?"

"Can't you guess?"

"Huh?"

"We had to separate, me and that person," Tsurumaru chuckled, "But on our final day we made a promise. I told him…that if we were to meet again in another life, I would propose to him with exactly the same words."

He wiped the traces of tears away from the blue hair's face, gently kissing the back of his hand before gazing into those gold-colored eyes.

"Won't you be my lover…Ichigo Hitofuri?"

Ichigo's eyes went wide. Even though Tsurumaru had brushed away his tears, those clear droplets began to roll down his face again. It appeared that the young man was attempting to talk, but when he opened his lips, he only ended up choking on his own breath.

"I… I don't understand…" he stuttered, "I don't understand what you're saying…"

"Ichigo."

"Tell me," he grabbed the vocalist by the collar and looked up at him, "Tsurumaru-san, just…what is happening to me?"

Tsurumaru didn't answer his question, but caressed both sides of his face instead. In the next moment, his face drew closer until their lips met.

"…?!"

"I'm glad," the white hair smiled happily while rubbing Ichigo's lips with his thumb, "If you cry this much for me, does that mean your feelings for me haven't changed?"

"What are you—?"

"I love you, ichigo," not letting the blue hair to finish his words, Tsurumaru held him tight, "Back then and now, my feelings for you remained the same. All the songs I've written… Every single one of them… I made them while thinking of you, even when we hadn't met in this life."

Again, he pulled the blue hair into another kiss. He could feel the body in his arms jolted when he carefully slipped his tongue in and entwined theirs together, but Tsurumaru didn't stop. He still remembered each and every single place, where and how he should touch, and even though Ichigo was still struggling at first, his resistance stopped the moment Tsurumaru stroke the back of his hair and teasingly slid his hand down to his nape.

"Nnggh, mmph!"

"Are you feeling good?" the white hair asked between their kisses, a meaningful smile was drawn on his face, "Here, you like it when I touch you like this, right?"

Still covering Ichigo's mouth with his, Tsurumaru slipped his hand into the back collar of the blue hair's shirt, stroking the area around his nape and upper back. He could feel the young man shivered and clutching even tighter at him, and it didn't take long until he lost strength in his legs and nearly slumped down to the floor had the vocalist not been holding him.

"So it's still the same after all," said white hair while chuckling happily at Ichigo's reaction, "Does that mean, at the very least, your body still remembers me?"

In a swift, yet gentle movement Tsurumaru switched their position so it would be the blue hair's turn to be leaning against the closed door. The later appeared to have finally gotten a hold of himself, but still perplexity remained visible on his face; his eyes were reddened and appeared slightly swollen. To this sight, Tsurumaru kissed the traces of tears from his cheek.

"Sorry," he returned the blue hair's gaze with an apologizing look, "I didn't mean to scare you. It's just… It's been such a long time, so I…"

He didn't continue his words. However, to his surprise the young man before him touched his arms despite his fingers quivering from nervousness.

"I… I don't understand…" Ichigo said meekly, "I've only known you recently and we're both men, but…"

"But?"

"But…" with his face turning red all the way to his ears, the blue hair softly bumped his head against Tsurumaru's chest, mumbling in a voice so small the vocalist almost missed it, "But for some reason, I don't feel any repulsion when you're holding me."

"Ichigo…"

"I-It's weird, isn't it?" he immediately added while gripping tight at the other's clothes, "Even though I don't know who you are to me or who I am to you, I—"

"Is that a yes?" not waiting for his companion to end his sentence, Tsurumaru peered at his bashful face, "Does that mean I have permission to touch you now?"

"W-Wha—"

"It's okay if you don't remember now," he kissed the blue hair's fingers, "As long as you don't hate me, it's enough."

From those slender fingers, Tsurumaru showered him with kisses all the way up his arms. Ichigo flinched when the white hair reached the side of his neck, and as he shut his eyes tight, he didn't realize that the buttons of his shirt were being opened one after the other. By the time he noticed, the vocalist already placed the palm of his hand on his bare chest.

"T-Tsurumaru-san!"

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

While nipping at his collarbone, the vocalist's fingers lightly pinched the soft, pink-colored buds protruding on the surface of the other's chest. They became hard as he played with them, and at the same time he placed one of his legs between Ichigo's thighs; his knee nudging at the sensitive part that the blue hair couldn't help but moved his hips involuntarily to the stimulation.

"Ah!"

"How is it? I'm not wrong, aren't I?"

"S-Such a thing, I'm—"

"And next would be…here," catching the flustered Ichigo by the arms, Tsurumaru turned him around and embraced him from the back. He kissed his exposed nape, nibbling at them while caressing his body all over to divert the blue hair's attention from his attempt to strip him off his clothes little by little. When the vocalist started licking and biting at his shoulder, however, Ichigo flinched as though he'd come to a realization and he gripped at Tsurumaru's hands.

"W-Wait," he said almost in a panic, "Not that…please…"

"Not what?"

"…T-The back…" in a timid voice, Ichigo looked down, "Could you please…not look at my back?"

"Ah…" the white hair appeared to recall something. But instead of stopping, he nibbled at the other's ear that the blue hair shuddered, "Don't worry. I know what it is."

As he said that, he kept taking off Ichigo's clothes despite the young man's fruitless struggle. It didn't take long until his back was entirely exposed, and on the surface of his skin were several spots where the color was different from the rest of his body. If one were to only have a glance, they almost looked like scars from healed burn-wounds.

"This is what you mean, right?" said Tsurumaru while stroking the different color, "Is it a birthmark?"

"…It's hideous," the blue haired mumbled, not even wanting to see the other man in the eyes. As he said this, he curled his body as if to protect himself.

"It's not hideous. I think this is proof that you're the same Ichigo Hitofuri that I remember," with a chuckle, the vocalist kissed those irregular spots on the blue hair's back, "But enough playing. Don't you think we should start to get serious?"

Tsurumaru wrapped one arm around the other's waist, pulling him close that Ichigo's back was pressed against his torso. With his free hand, he began to unbutton the blue hair's pants and slipped his hand in, slowly rubbing the half-hard member without holding. Just when Ichigo was just about to cry out, he covered his mouth and whispered in his ear.

"Mind your voice," he said in a low, husky voice, "Those journalists might still be out there."

"Mmmngh! Nnngh!"

"Hehe, I know, I know. You're feeling it right?"

He could feel the other's heat rising in his hand as the blue hair arched his back; his hips shaking as if his legs could give away at any moment. Deliberately, Tsurumaru pressed his own against Ichigo's backside, hinting to the young man of what he was about to do. From his reaction, Tsurumaru knew the blue hair understood and that was when he slipped in his fingers into that place.

"Tsurumaru-san—?!"

"This place needs to be prepared, doesn't it?" to the other's surprise, the vocalist teasingly wriggled his fingers inside, inviting gasps of breaths to escape those soft lips, "I wonder if your special spot here is still the same, too… Shall we start?"

At this moment, it was nearly impossible for Ichigo to form any words without making it scatter into incoherent moans. He looked back at the white hair; his eyes already moist and teary again albeit for an entirely different reason. Looking at the vocalist's golden eyes, similar to his, it looked as though he was trying to convey something. To this indescribable gaze, a subtle smile was drawn on Tsurumaru's face as he sighed, gently lifting the other's chin and pulled him into a passionate kiss once more.

 _"You're opening yourself up to me like this. Can I…at least get my hopes up?"_

While the blue hair was distracted by his kiss and touches, Tsurumaru placed himself behind him, lifting up his hips. Being careful as not to shock the young man, he slowly took his fingers out, replacing them with his own heat. Truth be told, he was almost at the brink of his sanity, but still he pushed in as gently as he could, hugging the shivering body in his arms.

"Uwah— Aa, aah, kuh…!"

"Ichigo…" he called out the blue hair's name in a suppressed voice, gritting his teeth, "Are you okay? Are you in pain?"

"Nnnn… Nngh…"

He heard no answer from him. Ichigo was pressing his head against the door, clenching his fists so tight that his knuckles turned white. From the way he kept holding back his sniffles, however, the answer should've been obvious.

 _"Ah… I did it again…"_

The vocalist could feel his heart sinking. He had seen Ichigo making this kind of face before. The first time he took him completely, the blue hair insisted to remain silent even though he was most likely hurting. They had done this so many times afterwards that Tsurumaru forgot the beginning was not as easy. He failed to consider that even though they might be the same person, the Ichigo Hitofuri in this life might never have done something like this before.

"Say… Is this your first time?" he held the person to whom he was connected with, "I'm sorry for rushing it. Should we stop?"

The blue hair shook his head.

"Are you sure?"

His question was responded with a nod. Exhaling a deep breath for the last time today, Tsurumaru prompted the blue hair to look back, pressing their lips together as he began to drive into him.

"…?!"

"It'll be alright," he whispered between their kisses, "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Nnn! Nnnggh!"

"Hmm? What is it?"

It felt as though Ichigo was trying to tell him something. He was desperately tugging at the arms holding him, trying his best to call the white hair's attention despite his current condition. When Tsurumaru slightly pulled back and stared at him with a questioning look, their golden eyes met.

"T-Tsurumaru…"

"Yes?"

"…I…I love…you…" clutching tight at the vocalist's hand, Ichigo entwined their fingers, "I…love you… I still do… Tsurumaru-dono…"

Along with his breathless whisper, even if it was just for a brief second, a faint smile was drawn on the blue hair's face before he resigned himself completely to the desire binding them together.


	5. Epilogue

_The night was silent still as I looked out through the window  
_ _Under the starless sky, all I could see were the sparkling lights of the town  
_ _'They are the same as always', I thought as I walked out of my room  
_ _But even so, I wonder what is this feeling burning in my heart?_

 _The room feels too empty for me alone  
_ _'Ah… Is it loneliness that I'm feeling then?' I thought as I smiled mockingly to myself  
_ _How nice would it be to have someone by my side  
_ _Someone precious to me… Someone that I never want to let go…_

* * *

 _"Dear passengers, we will be arriving at our destination soon. Please fasten your seat belt and…"_

The in-flight announcement echoed throughout the plane. In the business-class area, manager Heshikiri Hasebe closed the book he was reading and turned his sight towards the three people next to him; two were on the seats across the aisle while the other one was right beside him by the window.

"Oi, wake up," he nudged at the two closest to him one after another, "Wake up, I said."

"Mmm?" at his call, the black-haired Shokudaikiri Mitsutada slowly opened his left eye not hidden beneath the eye-patch. He appeared groggy at first, but listening to the repeated announcement, he soon caught up to reality. "Ah, are we going to land soon, Hasebe-kun?"

"Yeah. Tell Ookurikara to wake up now," replied the manager with a snort.

"Okay, got it," the black hair smiled and turned to the dark-skinned man still sleeping while leaning against him, "Kara-chan… Kara-chan, wake up."

He shook the man gently, tucking the reddish end of his long hair over his ear while playfully poking at his cheek. It took awhile, but eventually the man who was their bassist opened his eyes with a grunt.

"Here, Kara-chan, would you like to drink?" he offered him a bottle of mineral water, "We're going to land soon."

Ookurikara remained silent, but accepted the water anyway. On the other hand, Hasebe rolled his eyes and snorted once again while turning at the last member of their band beside him.

"Enough sleeping, Tsurumaru," he shoved the water bottle to the white hair's face without holding back. Contrary to his two friends who woke up in peace, the vocalist nearly jumped from his seat at the cold sensation suddenly pressing against his face.

"What the hell, Hasebe?! You have a grudge on me or something?!" taking off the sunglasses he'd been wearing while asleep, Tsurumaru burst into a fit of rage in mere seconds.

"You look ridiculous with sunglasses," without the slightest bit of remorse, the manager simply fastened his own seatbelt and leaned back, "Anyway, we're landing soon, so be good."

Tsurumaru pursed his lips, but eventually he did as told. On the other side of the aisle, Mitsutada laughed as usual while Ookurikara only stared out the window, pretending as if they didn't exist.

Upon arriving at the airport, they could see hordes of their fans waiting right outside the exit. Bringing small banners and posters, they were welcoming the arrival of One-Eyed Dragon back to their homeland after the band had been away for a three-month world tour. It was as if they were holding a small concert there; the fangirls' excited cheers could be heard almost in every corner.

" _All's well that ends well_. Don't you agree, Tsuru-san?" with a chuckle, Mitsutada nudged and whispered to him, to which the white hair responded with a smile, shrugging his shoulders.

"I suppose…" he replied while scratching the side of his face, "Actually, back then I was already prepared to be kicked out of the band, really."

After his sudden "public" confession on his relationship with Ichigo, the agency decided that he should no longer be in One-Eyed Dragon. Tsurumaru thought he was ready to accept whatever punishment they would give, but when news spread about his expulsion from the band, the next thing they knew, the fans gathered to request the agency to cancel the decision.

 _"I couldn't be more grateful…"_ the white hair thought as he waved a hand to the cheering crowds.

Walking towards the drop-off area, they could see the agency's car already waiting for their arrival. However, when the others were busy getting their luggage in, the vocalist remained standing where he was. Behind the sunglasses, his golden eyes swept around the dozens of people roaming around the vicinity.

"Tsurumaru, aren't you getting on?" asked Mitsutada, "What are you looking for?"

"…Sorry, guys. I think I'll go back on my own."

"Huh?"

"You see, I already have someone to pick me up."

Flashing his usual grin, Tsurumaru jerked his chin towards someone who was approaching them. It was a young man, with the same gold-colored eyes as the vocalist. His light blue hair was tied in a loose ponytail as he let them fall freely over his shoulder. Bowing politely towards the crews and the fans who noticed his appearance, the young man stood before the white hair.

"Welcome back, Tsurumaru-san," he said with a kind smile drawn on his face, "How was your flight?"

"Boring, because I had to sit with the angry manager while these stupid lovebirds kept flirting next to us," Tsurumaru pursed his lips, sticking out his tongue at their manager and his two friends. He knew he had to say it while the fans were still there to witness, otherwise he would end up with a broken neck in an instant.

Ichigo, on the other hand, only laughed at his childlike misdeed.

"Well then, you must be tired. Shall we go home?" asked him.

"Yeah. Are you gonna drive me back?"

"Certainly."

"Then, we're off!"

The vocalist draped an arm around the blue hair's shoulders, bidding farewell to their fans with a wide smile and a wave of his hand. It did feel good to be released from restrain. Nevertheless, for now he decided not to think about anything as the two of them walked away, side by side.

* * *

 _Faraway… Faraway… In the far distance I see your smile…  
_ _Faraway… Faraway… In the far distance I hear your voice…_

 _If I run to where you are, will I ever find you?  
_ _If I reach out my hand and shout, will you ever hear me?_

 _To you whom I've yearned for so long, to you whom I love the most  
_ _This heart I will give to you_

 _To you, my dearest, I will spread these humble wings and fly to where you are…_


End file.
